Movable flange for hoisting-drums.



G. F. ROUGHAN.

MOVABLE FLANGE FOR HOISTING DRUMS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, 1908.

- 940,826. Patented Nov. 23, 1909.

GEORGE E. ROUGHAN, OF BOSTON MASSACHUSETTS.

MOVABLE FLANGE FOR HOISTING-DRUMS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented N 23, 1909,

Application filed July 22, 1908. Serial No. 444,777.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. ROUGHAN, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Movable Flanges for Hoisting-Drums, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to Winding drums employed in winding cables. It is usually the practice when using a drum of this kind for winding and unwinding one end of a rope, to coil the rope about the perimeter in a regular helix of a single layer in which it is desirable to economize space by laying the rope in contact with each preceding convolution.

One object of this invention is to provide means for keeping the tangent rope in contact with the adjacent convolution upon the drum. This is accomplished by providing the drum with an annular disk flange loosely surrounding its perimeter, and suitable spring devices for pressing the disk axially against the tangent rope. The disk is in effect a spring follower which is adapted to recede as the quantity of rope on the drum increases, and to advance as the quantity decreases.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated upon the accompanying drawings, the flange serves a twofold purpose. Sometimes it is desirable to equip the drum with a second rope, especially if the drum is to be subjected to extremely heavy loads, in which case the second rope is provided with a weight at its outlying end for the purpose of counterbalancing the weight of the load. When two ropes are thus employed, one end of one rope is attached to one end of the drum, and one end of the other rope to the other end of the drum, and coiled thereon leaving sufficient space between the two tangent portions for clearance when one is coiled and the other unooiled by rotation of the drum.

The other purpose of the present invention is to follow the second rope in the same manner as the first and thereby prevent liability of interference of one tangent portion with the other. The result is that the expansible flange is moved back and forth when the two ropes are alternately coiled and uncoiled.

Referring to the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is an elevation of one member of a double drum equipped with two ropes and a movable flange. Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

The same numbers of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

The movable flange constituting the present invention, is herein shown as applied to one of two drums 10 10 mounted end to end upon the same shaft 11. This is a type commonly employed of which either drum may be driven by a rotatable driving member 12 interposed between them upon the shaft 11. Tlhe driving member is in the form of a gear oneach side of which is a cone 13. Thecones are adapted to engage internally tapered rims 1 1 14c, one on each drum, and the member 12 may be moved endwise on the shaft so as to engage either one of the rims. As shown by Fig. 1, the .driving member is engaged with the right hand drum to the opposite ends of which are attachedtwo separate ropes 15 and 16. The ropes are coiled about the drum in the same direction so that one may be paid out and the other drawn in or vice versa when the drum is rotated.

A narrow space is left between the tangent portions 17 and 18 of the ropes and is occupied by the axially movable flange indicated 'at 20. The said flange comprises a pair of separable annular disks 22 23 and is therefore expansible. Each disk is provided with symmetrically arranged ears or lugs 24 on its inner face, and by means of said ears and suitable toggle links 25, the two disks are connected one with the other. The joint of each pair of links is connected to a helical'spring 26, a U-shaped yoke 27 being interposed in order to facilitate the connection. The tension of the springs as applied to the links has a tendency to move the disks relatively to each other, and when the links are arranged as shown by Fig. 1, the effect is a tendency to expand the flange as a whole. This keeps each disk in contact with the tangent portion of its respective rope, and when the drum is rotated the flange follows either one way or the other according to the direction in which the ropes are coiled and uncoiled. By reason of arranging one pair of links 25 opposite another pair as illustrated, one spring 26 may serve two pairs equally when connected to opposite joints. This arrangement requires an even number of pairs of links but any number of pairs might well be employed if desired.

By providing longitudinal grooves 28 in the perimeter of the drum 10, and internal lugs 29 on the annular disks 22 and 23 adapted to occupy the same, the flange may be made to rotate positively with the drum and yet be free to move axially thereon.

The means herein shown and described for expanding the flange is subject to various modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim a 1. A drum, a pair of disks surrounding and axially movable thereon, means connecting said disks and normally tending to move one with relation to the other, and a rope connected to said drum arranged to engage one of said disks and to force the latter against the action of said means during the winding operation to automatically increase the winding space on said drum.

2. A drum having grooves in its perimeter parallel with the axis, a pair of disks loosely surrounding the drum and movable longitudinally thereon, internal lugs on said disks projecting into said grooves, and means connecting said disks and adapted to force them apart with yielding tension.

3. A drum, a pair of disks loosely surrounding its perimeter, toggle links connecting said disks one with the other, and springs connected to said toggle links in such a way as to exert their tension to move one disk relatively to the other.

4. A drum a pair of disks loosely arranged thereon, an even number of pairs of toggle links connecting said disks one with the other, said pins being arranged relatively in couples, and a plurality of helical springs each connecting the joint of one pair of links with the joint of the other pair in that couple of pairs.

5. A hoisting drum, a rope arranged thereon, a disk loosely fitted on said drum and arranged to be moved endwise of said drum by the action of the rope coil, and means for yieldingly holding said disk against said coil irrespective of the direction of travel of said rope.

6. A hoisting drum, a rope arranged thereon, a disk positioned on said drum to permitthe movement endwise of said drum, but held against radial movement independent of said drum, said disk being arranged to be moved by the action of the rope coils on said drum to automatically increase the winding or coil space on said drum, due to the winding of the coils thereon, and means for yieldingly maintaining said disk against said rope coil.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE F. ROUGHAN.

Vitnesses P. WV. PEZZETTI, MARGUERITE M. TAYLOR. 

